How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11 (Public and Private)
There are two types of IP address you need to know: public IP (what the internet sees, assigned by your ISP) and private IP (your PC’s address within your home network). Here is how to find both.
How to Find Your Public IP (What the Internet Sees)
Fastest way: open your browser and go to whatismyip.com, ifconfig.me or simply search ‘what is my IP’ on Google. Your public IP appears instantly.
From CMD: curl ifconfig.me — shows your public IP directly in the terminal.
How to Find Your Private IP (Your PC in the Local Network)
Method 1: From CMD
Open Command Prompt and type: ipconfig
Find Ethernet adapter or Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi and note the IPv4 Address. Usually starts with 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x
Method 2: From Settings
- Settings → Network and Internet
- Click WiFi or Ethernet (your active connection)
- Click the network name
- Scroll down — you will see IPv4 address
Public IP vs Private IP: Differences
| Type | Assigned by | Visible to | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public IP | Your ISP | Everyone on the internet | 82.153.45.201 |
| Private IP | Your router | Only your local network | 192.168.1.105 |
Why Does My IP Change?
Most ISPs assign a dynamic IP: it changes periodically or when you restart the router. To always have the same public IP you need to pay for a static IP from your ISP or use a DDNS service.
Is it dangerous to share my public IP?
Sharing your public IP is not extremely dangerous but allows others to know your approximate geographic location (city/region) and could attempt attacks on your router. Avoid sharing it on public forums. Your private IP (192.168.x.x) is completely useless to someone external and you can share it without concern.
How do I hide my public IP?
Use a VPN: traffic exits from the VPN server’s IP instead of yours. The Tor browser also hides your IP but is much slower. For normal browsing a VPN is the most practical option.
Why does my private IP start with 192.168?
The ranges 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x and 172.16-31.x.x are reserved for private networks by the IANA standard. Your router assigns IPs from this range to all devices on your local network via DHCP. They are not directly accessible from the internet.
Conclusion
To find your public IP: search ‘what is my IP’ on Google or visit whatismyip.com. To find your private IP: open CMD and type ipconfig, look for IPv4 Address. You have both in under 30 seconds.
